Comedian Ferrell in Normal Heights

Comedian Will Ferrell surprised folks in Normal Heights when he showed up unexpectedly Wednesday night at the Blind Lady Ale House, a neighborhood pizza and beer spot popular with the locals. There was no red carpet, no paparazzi.

The unannounced stop had nothing to do with Ferrell’s Comic-Con appearances. He was visiting his former University of Southern California roommate, Emil Wohl, who lives in Kensington.

San Diego is a familiar haunt for the actor. His 2004 comedy, “Anchorman,” in which he plays self-centered newsman Ron Burgundy, was filmed here. But Burgundy wasn’t his color when he showed up for a Thursday Comic-Con panel in his super-villain persona with a bulbous blue plastic alien brain with his face painted blue.

Ferrell was just getting into the act of his lead character in DreamWorks’ upcoming animated film “MegaMind.” He quipped that the 3-D film clip shown to Comic-Con goers was much more effective on him because he had huffed too much paint while applying his blue face in the bathroom.

“Star Wars” wo-mania: A familiar voice drifted out from one exhibit hall booth. San Diegan Ashley Eckstein is the voice of Ahsoka Tano, an animated “Star Wars” character on Cartoon Network.

The actress, a recurring character in the TV sitcom “That’s So Raven,” is the wife of Padres second baseman David Eckstein. She was selling her new female-oriented line of “Star Wars”-themed tees and hats at Comic-Con.

“Almost half of ‘Star Wars’ fans are women,” she explained. So she decided to make themed shirts tailored to the female form so they could look, well, feminine. She describes her “Her Universe” line, licensed by LucasFilms, as “geek chic.”

David, sidelined with an injury, was in Atlanta but checked in with her regularly.

Ashley let me in on a secret: David, also a “Star Wars” fan, keeps a Chewbacca figure in his Padres locker. He is not the only “Star”-struck Padre, however. Scott Hairston carries a small Yoda and his brother, Jerry, is a Darth Vader devotee.

High fashion: Holly Lindroth, a San Diego native who now hails from Long Beach, was back in town this week at Comic-Con booth No. 431. She created an online comic called “Heroine Addict” with a goal of encouraging women to empower themselves. After she and her partner, Cinnamon Johnston, designed a merchandise line branded with their e-comic name, they quickly discovered how many people have trouble spelling. After their launch, they received several negative comments on their website blasting them for promoting drug use. Clearly some folks mistook “heroine” for “heroin,”

Picketing the pickets: Westboro Baptist Church protesters met their match in the costumed characters of Comic-Con. The Kansas-based group, which regularly protests against gay rights and military funerals, were confronted by a counter protest of Con attendees holding taunting signs. One robot clutched a poster that said, “God Hates Humans.” Other signs read: “All Glory Dark Side Is” and “God Loves Darth Vader.”

Hard Rock action: A-list stars have been congregating at the nearby Hard Rock Hotel. Its café, where actors Bruce Willis and Seth Green were both spotted having breakfast, was temporarily renamed SyFy’s Café Diem. “Tron” actor Jeff Bridges relaxed in the hotel’s rooftop pool bar before a media briefing. Mary Louise Parker was caught by the media trying to sneak in a side door of the hotel. Wilmer Valderrama (MTV’s “Yo Momma”) and Dulé Hill (“Psych”) were seen chatting outside. Other Hard Rock visitors have included “Dexter’s” Michael C. Hall, “Tron” star Garrett Hedlund and Aaron Eckhart, of the upcoming film, “Battle: Los Angeles.”

There really are comics: Carolyn Mitrovich called her father, George, founder of City Club of San Diego who turns 75 on Thursday, to say she thought she had found the perfect gift for him. Knowing he is a “Prince Valiant” fan, she was ecstatic to come across a 1939 edition of the first “Prince Valiant” comic book ever published. Alas, inflation had taken its toll. Ten cents back then — $200,000 today … That’s a bargain compared to the Action Comic #1 that introduced Superman to the world on display. N.Y. vintage comics dealer Stephen Fishler previously sold a copy of the same edition for $1.5 million. This one, to be auctioned after Comic-Con, was found by a couple facing eviction from a home that had been in the wife’s family since the 1950s. They stumbled across it in the cellar as they were packing to move. So, once again, Superman saved the day.